Adelaide ruckman Reilly O'Brien says he isn't sure how the pairing would go if the club successfully lures Essendon free agent Sam Draper to West Lakes.
O'Brien, fresh off signing a new three-year extension until the end of 2028, has been reassured of his position at the Crows, but had queries over how the combination with Draper would work.
Matthew Nicks boasts a potent trio with the three-headed monster of Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and Taylor Walker, albeit the latter nearing the end of his career.
The trio have worked in tandem to great effect, tallying 118 goals, whilst also contributing to Adelaide's third-place ranking for most scores in the competition.
Draper, who is currently weighing up interest from Brisbane and the Bombers, hasn't closed the door on the Crows, especially after it was revealed that Nicks personally called the 26-year-old.
But O'Brien doesn't sound enthused by the potential pairing.
"Not sure how that would work. Obviously, it wouldn't be ideal, from a selfish point of view, I want to be number one," he told 10 News Adelaide.
"But it's certainly something that could work in terms of forward-ruck, two rucks. Not 100 per cent sure."
O'Brien is confident in his ability to work alongside Draper, but acknowledges that his recent contract negotiations were separate from the proposed two-ruck model.
Reilly O'Brien has expressed some hesitancy about the Crows' ongoing pursuit of Sam Draper. While he says he's sure it would work, bringing another ruckman to the club wasn't mentioned as he was re-signing a few weeks ago | @Adelaide_FC @AFL @mkfburford #AFL pic.twitter.com/rBG4sIyc7A
— 10 News Adelaide (@10NewsAdl) August 6, 2025
"I got pretty good assurance around that going forward," O'Brien added.
"That was part of the reason I signed. Obviously, I love the club and wanted to stay, and looking forward to what we do the next few years."
A pair of looming changes could also strengthen the case for the Draper acquisition. One is the imminent retirement of Walker, who is pushing for a new deal in 2026 despite playing career-best football.
Secondly, the AFL and its new football boss, Greg Swann, are also weighing up the sub role, and whether it gets scrapped and replaced with a fifth interchange player that coaches can use at will.
If so, it is understood that clubs will look at playing two genuine rucks in the starting 23, which would abet the Draper chase.
